HOW TO LIVE A HAPPIER, CLUTTER-FREE LIFE

Whether it be closets, desks or kitchen cabinets, most of us hold onto things longer than we need to. If you find yourself a slave to your belongings, here are three reasons to get you motivated to live a less cluttered, more organized and fulfilling life.

HOW TO LIVE A HAPPIER, CLUTTER-FREE LIFE by Yuwanda Black

August, 2003 -- It's ninety degrees. "Hmm, that pink halter top with those white linen shorts would look great!" But, you groan at the prospect of digging through your closet because you can never find what you want when you need it."

Clutter. It affects all of us. Whether it be closets, desks or kitchen cabinets, most of us hold onto things longer than we need to. The reasons range from foolish dreams, e.g., "I'm going to fit these size six jeans again," to sentimentality, "I've had this cup since college," to downright foolishness, "I just can't throw this away because ..."

If you find yourself a slave to your belongings, here are three reasons to get you motivated to live a less-cluttered, more organized and fulfilling life.

1. More Physical Space: If you're a packrat, sooner or later, you're going to run out of space. Think of all the new, more resourceful ways you could use your newfound space if you got rid of all the paper, clothes, dishes, etc. that you will probably never use again. Imagine actually looking forward to opening your closet door.
Cassandra Black, co-owner of online retailer EthnicHomeDecor.com, states, "Running a business out of my home, especially one that involved sewing, forced me to become super organized. If I didn't constantly purge, I wouldn't be able to find anything."
So, just do it! Close your eyes and toss whatever you haven't used in a year. Really, if you haven't used or needed it in a year, how likely are you to start now? Of course, the exception to this would be important papers - taxes, leases, personal identification documents, etc.

2. Confront Emotional Issues: Familiar with the idiomatic expression, "You have to clean out the old to let in the new?" The habit of incessantly holding onto items you no longer need or use is indicative of a much bigger emotional problem - letting go.

Packrats tend to be ruled by fear and insecurity, which permeates most, if not all, of their relationships. Think about it, if you hold onto something (or someone) out of a fear of letting go, how likely are you to really be happy?

Real emotion, real love, is about freedom. Remember the saying, if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you it's yours; if it doesn't, it never was.

If you're constantly holding onto things, you interrupt the natural flow of give and take, which is necessary in every relationship for it to reach its full potential. So, don't be afraid to let go; of people or things. It is part of the natural flow of life.

3. Help Others. Finally, donate your old things. Think of others less fortunate who can derive real use from the things that are just sitting in the back of your closet.

That old coat could keep a homeless person warm on a cold winter day; those old dishes could benefit a young person just starting out in a new apartment; those old lamps would mean the world to a senior citizen on a fixed income.

Cassandra, a recovering packrat, sums it up succinctly, "Help someone out and get a little break from the government - what could be better!"

Yuwanda & Cassandra Black are the owners of EthnicHomeDecor.com. Ethnic Home Decor offers soft home furnishings with ethnic themes, at affordable prices. For more information or to schedule an interview, see contact informmation.                            

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